The Weirdest — But Real — Ingredients Lurking In Your Beauty Products

Samantha SassoOct 25, 2017 4:30 PM

There are plenty of rabbit holes to fall down on the internet, but our favorite (after unsolved murder mysteries) involves weird-ass beauty products. And like Hollywood scandals, they're hiding everywhere — all you have to know is where to look.

Before you go hunting for them in your local Sephora, know that the most bizarre encounters happen in the depths of Google searches. Our path into Wonderland? Stranger than you might think:

After a bakery in Massachusetts got in trouble for listing 'love' on the ingredient list (the FDA ruled that ingredients must be listed by their "common or usual name"), we figured this couldn't possibly be the most impractical thing listed on the back of a label, so we dug deeper.

First, we found one essential-oil based perfume with witchy branding that claims actual magic can be found in the sweet scent's blend. Then, we came across a rosewater toner that uses vor-mag to supposedly to raise the energy to a higher vibration. But that's just the tip of the head-scratching ingredient iceberg, as you'll see in the slides ahead.

Organic Brandy

Alexis Smart's Flower Remedies are ingestible potions that might be placebo, might be the real deal, depending on how skeptical you are. Each one targets a personal issue — like social anxiety or lack of motivation — and claims that four droplets (four times a day) of the essence can melt your problems away. What's in it? Spring water, water violet, and yes, organic brandy. Which is, for the record, alcohol. And while it's not enough to get you drunk, it can't hurt your chances of becoming a little more outgoing.

It sounds like it could be a nickname for Kathy Bates's character on American Horror Story: Freak Show, but it's actually an herbaceous plant extract more commonly known as milk thistle. No, it won't make you grow facial hair at a rapid pace, but it will reduce inflammation and promote a more youthful glow.

It's not so far from what you might find on a shelf in Wiz Khalifa's home — it's a real herb, just not one you can roll. The leaves are crushed and used to promote an active libido and increase circulation, so infuse it in tea leaves or crush it into a powder to drink before you get down.